(i). Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an anchoring and tying device and, more particularly, relates to a vertically adjustable wall tie for securing together spaced wythes such as a masonry veneer wall to a structural masonry wall of block-like construction.
(ii). Description of the Related Art
Common residential and commercial building construction practice entails forming a brick or other masonry veneer wall adjacent a structural inner supporting wall. Generally the masonry veneer is spaced apart from the structural inner wall in a construction technique known as cavity wall construction. The air gap deters the formation and build up of damaging moisture on the structural inner wall as well as providing some thermal and acoustic insulation.
Anchors or ties are required to span the air gap at predetermined locations to secure the masonry veneer to the inner structural wall. Anchors are often formed integral with the structural wall where said structural wall is of masonry block construction. Vertically adjustable ties are required where the mortar joints of the veneer wall do not align with the the mortar joints of the structural block wall.
In the prior art it is known to use metallic elements for affixing masonry veneers to inner structural walls. U.S. Pat. No. 779,268 issued Jan. 3, 1905 discloses a combination of anchoring and tying components for use with block like members having grooves in their meeting edges. Right angled or xe2x80x98Txe2x80x99 shaped flanges formed in the anchor and tie members engage grooves in mating blocks to fixedly attach a facing wall to the support wall. This disclosure provides little vertical adjustment of the ties and is not suitable for standard bricks and blocks.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,946,732 issued Feb. 13, 1934 discloses a device for securing masonry veneer walls to structural masonry support walls. A single vertical rod is disposed on the outer face of a support wall block by means of right angularly extended end portions embedded in the mortar joints over and under said block. A bonding member attached to the vertical rod is embedded in a mortar joint of the masonry veneer. In this disclosure the vertical rod, having a length substantially the same as the relatively large standard construction block, provides ample vertical adjustment but may provide inadequate horizontal support if the bonding member is placed in the central region of the vertical rod.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,277,626 issued Oct. 11, 1966 a double shank adjustable wall tie is disclosed for tying together spaced wythes consisting of a structural wall and a veneer wall. A planar xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shaped anchor having loops formed in the free ends is disposed in the horizontal PG,4 mortar joint of the structural wall with said loops extending outward. A tie member secured in a mortar joint of the veneer wall has a base piece and a pair of outwardly extending generally parallel arms, each of said arms having a transversely turned finger at the free end thereof. Said fingers are adapted to engage the loops of the anchor member for securement of the veneer wall to the structural wall. Limited vertical adjustment is provided wherein the bond strength is decreased as engagement of the fingers in the loops decreases. For a commercially available anchor and tie device similar in principle and application to this disclosure it is recommended that vertical adjustment not exceed 11/2xe2x80x3 from the tension tie anchor to avoid possible failure by bending.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,366 issued Feb. 13, 1996 discloses an adjustable doubleend hook tie device for securing together a masonry veneer wall and a structural masonry wall.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a new and improved single end hook anchoring and tying device which may be used in residential or commercial construction employing standard masonry bricks and blocks or the like.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide enhanced vertical adjustment of the tie member with improved lateral strength and retention properties.
In its broad aspect, an adjustable wall tie of the present invention for securing spaced wythes together, each formed of courses of preformed block or brick having cementing means for joining the courses together and defining a space therebetween, comprises a rectangular tension anchor having a base member and a pair of substantially parallel longitudinal side members extending from said base member perpendicular thereto, a transverse end member parallel to the base member joining the distal ends of the side members together, and an intermediate transverse member attached to the side members in proximity to said end member forming an elongated transverse slot therebetween, said tension anchor being adapted to be positioned whereby the base member can be cemented in one of said wythes with the opposite end member with transverse slot disposed in the space between the wythes; and a generally J-shaped single-ended hook having laterally spaced longitudinal side sections and a transverse-end section joining one end of the longitudinal side sections together to form a planar base, and the opposite end of the longitudinal side sections bent at substantially 90xc2x0 to the planar base and having short perpendicular side sections reverse bent substantially 90xc2x0 parallel to the planar base and spaced therefrom, and a transverse section joining the reverse bent side sections together to form a restraining hook, whereby the planar base may be positioned in and cemented in the other of the wythes with the short perpendicular side sections disposed in the space between the wythes and the restraining hook extending through the slot of the tension anchor for tying said wythes together.
The restraining hook may be turned up or down to extend vertical adjustment of the wall tie.